


He likes Chuck way more than he should

by storiesfortravellers



Category: Chuck (TV), White Collar
Genre: Dangerous, Falling In Love, Lookalikes, M/M, Schmoop, Spies & Secret Agents, Worry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-25
Updated: 2012-08-25
Packaged: 2017-11-12 20:47:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/495481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storiesfortravellers/pseuds/storiesfortravellers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neal's resemblance to Bryce means that he's sent to impersonate Bryce on a spy mission, with the help of Chuck Bartowski.</p>
            </blockquote>





	He likes Chuck way more than he should

**Author's Note:**

> Originally published on livejournal for a prompt: Chuck/Neal slash.

Peter hadn't wanted to let Neal work with them; they were so high-security it wasn't even clear which agency the 'them' was.

And Neal was nervous about it too. He had gotten good at reading people. Even people who were nearly perfect at hiding their intent. Even people whose reactions were certainly biased by their memory of whoever it was that Neal was supposed to be impersonating.

John Casey. Not his real name. Who looked at Neal with annoyance. And with some other emotion. Like he wished he could just shoot Neal and get it over with, because it would just be more efficient.

Sarah Walker. Not her real name. Who looked at Neal like ... like she knew the man Neal was there to impersonate.

Chuck Bartowski. Who gave him a big smile. Who told him straight up that it would be weird since he looked just like his old friend Bryce, but he planned to get to know Neal for who he was, since after all they were all on the same team, and by the way, does Neal play videogames?

The answer was no. But Neal learned to play Duckhunt pretty well. And they both liked listening to music. And deciphering Casey's menagerie of grunts. And sipping the best champagne that government funds could buy.

Yes, it was becoming clear. Neal liked Chuck way more than he should.

It was dangerous. And stupid. After all, Chuck wouldn't get to have a whole team based on his abilities if he weren't ruthless and cunning and capable of taking out entire tactical teams all on his own. And surely if Chuck such a superspy, then he must be masterful at conning people. Maybe even good enough to con Neal.

So it was a bad idea to like Chuck, to think of him as a friend.

And an even worse idea to fall laughing into Chuck's arms, into Chuck's bed.

But there's something about him that Neal can't ignore.

Like the way he made sure nobody would document when Mozzie came by to visit. And he was really nice to Mozzie, talked books with him even (after Moz was done accusing him of destroying civilization, despite the fact that Moz had just argued civilization is a facade anyway).

And then there was the way Chuck just automatically reached for the tranq guns instead of the real ones.

Chuck really doesn't like guns.

And then there's the fact that he gets Sarah to talk about her favorite cities, her favorite foods, can get her to imagine things - to hope for things - that have nothing to do with their bloody, cold line of work. Chuck can even get Casey to talk about things like why it's important to get an aged whiskey, or what's going on with Chuck's family. And Neal wonders, when he sees this, whether maybe for Chuck, it's not about the information or the power.

Just like for Neal, it's not about the money or the things.

It's about the people.

Neal sees something in Chuck. Something he can't let go of, something that grips and hooks Neal harder every day, with every nervous laugh or goofy grin or smoldering hot kiss.

Neal tells himself that this isn't real, that he's getting conned by a spy named Chuck Bartowski. He tells himself every morning as he wakes up next to Chuck, and he tells himself every night as he falls asleep in a haze of postorgasmic bliss.

Neal wonders if this is justice, or cosmic payback somehow; he knows Peter would think so. Because no matter how many times Neal tells himself, he can't bring himself to care that he's being conned.

He just can't help it. He likes Chuck way more than he should.


End file.
